NRMCA e-news

Pavement

Concrete Overlay Training Provided at Regional Pavement Conference

NRMCA Vice President, Local Paving, Don Clem and Jamie Johnson, pavement engineer of the American Concrete Pavement Association's Colorado/Wyoming chapter, recently provided training at the 22nd Annual General Council Meeting and Comprehensive Pavement Information Session, sponsored by the Metropolitan Government Pavement Engineers Council (MGPEC), on the proper design and construction of concrete overlays over asphalt. The conference was held at the CentrePoint Office Building in Aurora, CO. MGPEC was formed in 1993 to represent cities and counties in the Denver Regional Council of Governments' planning area. The group’s primary focus is to improve the quality of pavements throughout the Denver metropolitan region.

For more information, contact Don Clem at dclem@nrmca.org.

Government Affairs

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through April 14

Media articles on Congress, transportation infrastructure, regulation, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry, are updated each week by NRMCA's Government Affairs staff. To access the most recent compilation of articles for April 10 - 14, 2017, please click here.

If you would like to receive this weekly updated link in a separate e-mail, or if you have questions or comments about the roundup, contact NRMCA’s Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.

Registration Still Open for Mid-May's TCC Fly-In

Time is running out to register for the 2017 TCC Fly-In Conference to be held May 17-18. The registration fee is $175 and includes conference materials, legislative briefings, continental breakfast and a Capitol Hill reception. Cancellations after May 12 are non-refundable. This year’s meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington at 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001. To make your hotel reservation, please contact the hotel by calling 1-800-421-1442 or 202-737-1234 and ask for the group code: TCC Fly-In rate of $329 per night. The TCC room block is based on availability. Rooms are sold on a first-come, first-sold availability. If the room block is sold out please contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger for a list of reserve hotels.

This year’s event will likely center around the Trump Administration’s plan for a $1 trillion investment in our nation’s transportation and infrastructure system. Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao pledged to collaborate with Congress to seek every funding option possible to shore up the Highway Trust Fund’s looming deficit. NRMCA is committed to working with the Administration to help find a solution to this problem.

We will also host our next NRMCA Quarterly DC Days on Wednesday, May 18, in conjunction with the TCC Fly-In. NRMCA’s Quarterly DC Days is an opportunity for you to come to your nation’s capital to meet with your congressional representatives and their staffs to talk about important issues impacting the ready mixed concrete industry. This event will focus specifically on the $1 trillion transportation and infrastructure package and its potential impact to the ready mixed concrete industry.

Click here to register for the Fly-In. For more information please contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org or 240-485-1159.

Buildings

NRMCA, Build With Strength Launch Map of Massive U.S. Fires

As a direct result of the number of massive multifamily fires occurring throughout the U.S., NRMCA and Build with Strength have created a map detailing where these fires occur and the extent of the damage. The list only goes back to 2013, but already contains over 20 massive fires invariably caused by the light-framed combustible materials used to construct the buildings.

There are several pieces of legislation proposed in New Jersey that address this very issue and, most importantly, come from the logical construct that most of us have come to realize: this wood-based type of construction is not safe. It burns and we need to find ways to control the fire or prevent it from ever happening by building with safer, non-combustible building materials, such as concrete or steel. These fires show the urgency in passing safer building codes. Light-framed, combustible construction supports the wood and homebuilding industries and their first-cost perspective; not our firefighters and building occupants. Resilient construction methods will protect those living and working in these public spaces, as well as the first responders charged with responding to fire or natural disasters.

Through the Build with Strength initiative, NRMCA has resources to help members and state affiliates advocate for resilient and safer construction, including model legislation, talking points, public relations and other key strategies.

To learn more about how NRMCA can assist in state advocacy, please contact John Loyer, vice president, state and local government affairs, at 703-675-7603 or jloyer@nrmca.org.

OES

Entry Forms Now Available for 2017 Environmental Excellence Awards

NRMCA’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards competition offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound management practice in their operations. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance measures and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment. NRMCA member companies producing ready mixed concrete from a fixed plant location in the U.S., its territories or Canada is eligible to enter. Awards will be determined upon individual plant merits. Winning entrants will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at NRMCA‘s ConcreteWorks this October in Dallas and also be featured in a 2017 edition of NRMCA’s Concrete InFocus magazine as well as Concrete Products magazine.

Entries and photos must be e-mailed to Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, July 28. Click here for more information, staff contact and to download the entry form.

Engineering

NRMCA Delivers P2P Presentations Across U.S.

Over the past six weeks, five P2P presentations have been delivered around the country to a total audience of about 180 professionals. Scott Kelly with Ozinga presented at the CSI Chicago chapter meeting; Dan Mayen with Dolose Bros. presented at the Oklahoma ACI chapter meeting; Colin Lobo presented at the Connecticut Construction Industries Association meeting and at the ACI Illinois chapter meeting and Steve Ragan presented to the staff of an architect in Gastonia, NC. These presentations are an important element of moving the industry toward more performance-based specifications in concrete.

To schedule a presentation or for more information, please contact Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org. More information about P2P can be accessed here.

NRMCA Concrete Durability Course Set for Early June in Atlanta

The NRMCA Concrete Durability Course is scheduled for June 6-8, 2017, at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, Inc.in Atlanta. The course is taught by Michael Thomas, University of New Brunswick and Kevin Folliard, University of Texas at Austin and NRMCA Engineering Staff. The course provides a fundamental understanding of the nature of cement and concrete as they relate to durability of concrete. Topics will cover cracking, alkali aggregate reactions, sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcing steel, freeze-thaw durability and other aspects. A group exercise will be facilitated to walk attendees through ConcreteWorks software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability and to evaluate the potential for temperature-related cracking.

The course also discusses the durability provisions in the Building Code - ACI 318-14 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Comprehensive reference material is provided as course notes that is an excellent resource to concrete producers and associated technical personnel. The course concludes with a comprehensive exam on the subject matter covered. Those with the NRMCA Level 3 Certification obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 Certification when passing this exam. However, it is not essential to have attended the NRMCA Technical Short Course to attend the Durability Course. The course provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program. Persons interested in attending this course are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

Click here for more information, staff contact and registration options.

Minnesota Hosts Tour of Pavement Test Track

MnROAD is a pavement test track built in the early 1990's owned and operated by MnDOT. It currently has over 50 unique test sections. The Minnesota Concrete Council and the Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota invites those interested on a tour to learn about upcoming construction and research. The tour of MnROAD is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26. The existing test sections are going to be removed to install future test sections. Some examples of existing sections: Cell 62 constitutes 4 inches of concrete over 8 inches of asphalt placed in 2004 and subjected to 1 million ESALs per year; Cell 9 constitutes super quiet, Next Generation Concrete Surface (NGCS) that was placed in 1992 and ground in 2008.

The tour will include presentations on the next test sections planned for concrete pavements. Space is limited to 80 people. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance for two professional development hours.

The cost to attend is $25. Click here for more information, including how to register, or contact Margaret Mills at margaret@mnconcretecouncil.com or 651-482-9549.

Education & Training

NRMCA’s Online Lessons Makes Safety Training Easy

Mitigating the industry’s safety challenges no longer need to be balanced by report times and delivery schedules. Now, NRMCA’s online safety learning lessons are quick, inexpensive and easily accessible from any computer, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Tools include a Web-based management system that automatically tracks individuals’ proof of training. To help make the key points relevant, all video lessons are shot at ready mixed concrete producers’ plants and at onsite pours so employees can quickly link the safety concepts to their job execution. Viewing access is purchased in small units of 10 participants for a 30-day streaming period.

Seven lessons are available. In addition to backing accident prevention, others tackle how to use a spotter on the job site, pre-trip inspections for front and rear discharge mixers, slips, trips and falls, and lock-out/tag-out. A two-part lesson on pumping safety is due Monday, May 1.

Click here to watch preview clips. For more information about industry-specific online safety training, please contact Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org or 240-485-1165.

Calendar

A Look Ahead

*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

April 25 – 28, Seattle *Sold Out

Plant Manager Certification Course